Summer Camp in October

There are some moments when you play with kids that just feel so pure. This past weekend was shared with one of my best friends, Dan Golub, and 19 Dominican muchachos. I was brought back to memories of summer camp in Michigan and Bowen Island, Canada. Singing on the bus, tag in the river, climbing hills so that we could unite on the top and have a meaningful discussion. We talked about HIV/AIDS; why mother Earth is so precious and unique; and how to build a sleek paper air plane. I think my favorite activity of the weekend was seeing the 11-14 year muchachos build boats from cardboard and duct tape and then test them to see if they could ride down the river with a munchacho on board. What ensued was ultimate hilarity. In fact, the two boats that won the competition appeared to be the most poorly put together. It just happened that the muchachos that captained them weighed less than the amount of rice and beans I eat in one day, so they made a successful passage without their cardboard masterpiece sinking.

So without a doubt I have found a niche here in Peace Corps Dominican Republic and that is introducing creative and curious Dominicans to other creative and curious Dominicans… not such a difficult task if you´re working with creative and curious crowds. On average of about once a month I´m on the road to some ``distant destination`` on the island to enjoy a long weekend of summer camp style play and experiential education. Everything we try to teach is hands on. We learn about the history of slavery on Hispanola (the island of Haiti and the DR) or try to tackle topics of machismo or why this society consistently litters their trash across the beautiful green land. I find that Dominican kids, especially boys ages 12-18, desire adventure and learning through a mechanism I call ``getting dirty.`` What is taught in school rarely interests them or the teachers do nothing more than lecture straight out of a text book and then assign kids to copy definitions until they can no longer grip their pencil. No wonder reading comprehension and being able to analyze a story is often difficult for most muchachos. Almost none of the muchachos 15 and under in my barrio can read aloud ``Curious George`` front to back in less than 45 minutes. So they become drop outs in pursuit of a job to support their family or a chance to create their own daily schedule of adventure. I think they are well intentioned, just have not been fed enough good plates of DISCIPLINE. If nothing else than the demand of daily ON-TIME attendance to school in a clean blue collared shirt and kaki pants uniform, the muchachos at the very least are developing a routine… and good routine is something that a life in poverty can lack.

So I try to take the kids who are studying and consistently attending school on these long weekend excursions. We play like its summer camp, but put into practice the fundamentals of disciplined living; like using ``Please & Thank You`` or washing your own dish after eating good food, or writing a note to someone saying you care about them, or learning to be completely silent for 15 straight seconds to reflect upon the good that has happened to you that day. Ever so slowly I am learning how to be straight up with kids when they need a little 1-2 punch. In this last conference titled ``Soy Ingeniero`` (I´m an Engineer) 14 zear olds Christopher, Jackson, and Kelvin from my community of ojo de Agua decided they needed to be singing at the top of their lungs at 2:30 in the morning while the farmers of Roblegal and the rest of the PC volunteers tried to sleep in out tents. I have to remember what it means to be 13. If the Dominican Republic summer camp lifestyle is teaching me anything, it is how to be a responsible father. It shall certainly be a joy and a piece of work when I someday have a wild teenage kid of my own.

Signing out after a day of rest and recuperation.

Play something today. It´ll make you youthful.

Jared